Corporate History
Southwest Human Development Services was founded in Austin, Texas on September 5th, 1985. Our agency currently serves over 800 family day care providers who care for more than 10,000 pre-school and after-school children all over the state of Texas. One in every 5 family day homes in Texas participates with our Program. We operate in most Counties in Texas.
Advantages of Southwest Human Development Services’ Program:
One of the largest sponsors of our kind in the US.
Providing program services for almost 4 decades.
Provider capability to electronically submit monthly food program claims via the internet.
Over 800 homes sponsored in over 150 Texas counties.
Experienced staff on call all working hours.
Individual attention to each participating provider.
Toll-free hotline for Provider Assistance.
Free Credit Hours in Nutrition through in-home study.
Free workshops in nutrition.
Free tax information assistance.
Free eNews with Monthly Credit Hours.
Comprehensive training manual.
Why Participate?
As a Family Day Care Provider, and a participant in the USDA Child & Adult Care Food Program, you can help young children get the meals they need to grow healthy and strong.
How does the Program Work?
The Child and Adult Care Food Program is a federal program supported by your tax dollars. The Program was created by Congress in 1968 in response to the need to provide good nutrition to the children of working parents. It is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and administered by the Texas Department of Agriculture.
The Program helps family day care providers improve the health and eating habits of the millions of pre-school and school age children in our country by offering free nutrition training and financial assistance. As an incentive, providers receive a monthly reimbursement check for the meals and snacks served that meet basic nutritional requirements.
Who is Eligible for Reimbursements?
All registered family and group day care homes that care for at least one non-residential child are eligible to participate in the Program and can claim meals served to the children in care. Facilities in commercial buildings do not qualify.
All providers who are eligible for Program reimbursement will receive one of two types of payment, Tier I, the higher meal rates, and Tier II, the lower meal rate. To qualify for Tier I meal rates, you must 1) live in a low-income area as defined by USDA or 2) qualify on the basis of your household income. Tier I providers may claim their own residential children’s meals if their families meet these guidelines
Click Here for Income Standards
How many Meals can I Claim?
Providers can be paid for a maximum of two main meals (breakfast, lunch, or supper) and one snack or one meal and two snacks per child per day. Meals served after school or on weekends can also be claimed. Infant meals can be claimed for infants from birth until one year of age.
How do I get paid and how much?
As a participant in the Program, you are responsible for keeping records of the types of foods you serve.
You are probably already serving meals that contain the designated food types for children of each age. Meal patterns and amounts are listed in detail in the handbook we provide for each of our participants.
What we ask of you:
1. Record your meal counts daily.
2. Record the menus and the changes in your enrollment.
3. Submit those records to us at the end of each month.
Meal rates are tied to the Consumer Price Index to help you keep up with inflation. The average reimbursement is approximately $500+ per month, or $83+ per child, based on serving breakfast, lunch, and a snack for 20 days, in a Tier One home. You are paid within 3-4 weeks of receipt of your Program records.